Commanders remake offensive line on first day of free agency with Nick Gates, Andrew Wylie deals

The Washington Commanders wasted no time in remaking their offensive line upon the beginning of free agency Monday as the team reached agreements with veterans Nick Gates and Andrew Wylie. 

Both players have experience at multiple spots upfront, which could be key as Washington looks to patch up a unit that regressed in 2022. Each player reportedly agreed to three-year deals as Wylie is set to join on a three-year, $24 million deal, while Gates agreed to a three-year, $16.5 million contract that can grow up to $18 million with incentives.

The deals were struck just hours after the league’s negotiating window opened at noon. 

Wylie, 28, has spent the last five years in Kansas City and now reunites with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who joined coach Ron Rivera’s staff earlier in the offseason. Wylie, with 59 starts in 71 games, played the first seasons of his career on the interior before moving to right tackle for the last two years. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound lineman adds noticeable size to Washington’s line.

Washington will have to determine whether to play Wylie at tackle or right guard. The Commanders struggled to fill both spots last season as the team rotated a bevy of players at right guard and alternated between Sam Cosmi and Cornelius Lucas at right tackle. Like Wylie, Cosmi, a 2021 second-round pick, has played both guard and tackle — and Rivera has said that the team still needs to decide what position Cosmi will primarily play next season. 

Gates also brings positional flexibility. Last season with the New York Giants, the 27-year-old played 258 of his 390 offensive line snaps last year at left guard and the other 132 at center, according to Pro Football Focus. Gates, entering his fifth year after spending the first four in New York, now joins a team that he, coincidentally, suffered a major injury against in 2021. 

Gates required seven surgeries after a season-ending leg injury against Washington in Week 2 of 2021. He rehabbed and was able to play in 10 games for the Giants last year. 

Gates’ contract is also very similar to former Washington lineman Wes Schweitzer, who signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract in 2020. Gates appears to be Schweitzer’s replacement as the latter is now a free agent. But like Schweitzer, Gates has good size at 6-foot-5, 307 pounds and can play multiple spots on the inside. 

Gates will likely compete to start at either left guard or center. The Commanders still have starters Andrew Norwell and Chase Roullier on the roster, though both veterans have contracts that could make them cap casualties in the weeks to come. The Commanders would save nearly $2.3 million by cutting Norwell and $4.7 million by parting with Roullier. 

Roullier, in particular, has had his season cut short in consecutive years with a pair of injuries. He played in just two games last year, and Rivera mentioned addressing the center position as a priority this offseason. 

In January, general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters that Washington wanted to get younger along the offensive line. After being rated as one of the best units in 2021, Washington’s offensive line struggled mightily this past season in part because of injuries and personnel issues. 

“Obviously, there’s a need,” Mayhew said. 

Washington’s deals with outside unrestricted free agents can’t become official at the earliest until Wednesday when the NFL’s new league year begins. Teams had permission to negotiate deals with such players on Monday, the start of the league’s “legal tampering” period. 

The Commanders began the afternoon with nearly $24 million in cap space, which was even more than what the team initially had just days ago thanks to Sunday’s four-year, $90 million agreement with star defensive tackle Daron Payne. 

By getting Payne’s deal done early — and structuring the deal so that the 25-year-old carries only a $10 million cap hit in 2023 — the Commanders were able to free up additional room to address arguably their biggest weakness. 

And while Washington looked to shore up the trenches, the Commanders also spent part of Monday looking to add depth to their defense. The team re-signed veteran cornerback Danny Johnson to a two-year deal worth up to $7 million, claimed 2020 third-round corner Cam Dantzler Sr. off waivers from Minnesota and signed former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton.